Royal Caribbean International Deploys SWANTECH's Machinery Monitoring Solutions; Stress Wave Analysis Technology Watches Over Podded Propulsion Drives On Voyager-Class Ships.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 2003

Royal Caribbean International, a division of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., one of the world's largest cruise companies, is monitoring the mechanical health of podded propulsion drives on their luxury Voyager and Radiance-class ships with Stress Wave Analysis (SWAN(TM)) technology developed by SWANTECH, LLC. Podded propulsion drives, known as PODS, are a new type of ship propulsion system. They have proven their worth in the cruise line industry by enhancing ship operations as well as reduced pollution. POD designs are being used more frequently on marine craft including liners for the cruise industry.

Royal Caribbean International (RCI), known for innovation in the cruise industry, operates 17 cruise ships on voyages throughout the Caribbean, Europe and other parts of the world. The newest ships in its fleet are Voyager-class offering trend-setting design and amenities. These ships operate using POD propulsion systems. POD propulsion systems are integrated units that unite power supply, propeller shafts and motors in a streamlined self-contained unit that is attached beneath the ship. These designs provide 360(degree) of motion around a vertical axis and greater maneuverability than traditional propulsion systems. The units also reduce space requirements because they are external to the ship's hull and have much lower noise and vibration levels due to their design and underwater location. They deliver greater power efficiency and speed than traditional propulsion systems.

The mechanical health of PODS is mission critical to "smooth sailing" and the true elegance of the POD drive's sealed design makes it difficult to monitor for mechanical health. PODs can be costly to maintain, especially if unscheduled downtime is required for repair. In order to ensure operational readiness, Royal Caribbean International deploys SWANTECH's state-of-the-art predictive maintenance systems to provide real time health monitoring of their ships' podded drive systems. According to Mr. Harri Kulovaara, Senior Vice President of Fleet Operations, "SWANTECH's Stress Wave Analysis technology is the technology that has proven capable of providing a real-time status of the operating health of podded drive systems. SWAN systems enable a ship's engineers to easily monitor and evaluate a device's condition, scheduling maintenance at the optimal point."

SWAN technology is based upon ultrasonic sound waves, which are detected and measured in terms of energy content and then analyzed to identify and trend the incidence of damage in a machine. The software analysis tools also pinpoint the source of damage and provide early warning in terms of the progression of damage. This information is used to schedule maintenance before severe damage to the machine, or equipment failure occurs.

According to Joseph E. Carpenter, Jr., President and CEO of SWANTECH, Stress Wave Analysis technology has demonstrated its superiority over other condition monitoring technologies available for podded drive system mechanical health monitoring. "SWAN technology is proving to be an extremely cost-effective prognostic maintenance system for podded design propulsion systems. He added, "We are delighted to be working with Royal Caribbean International, an innovator in ship systems and services. We look forward to working with the company in the future on other types of machinery health applications."

SWANTECH is dedicated to the innovation, design and development of diagnostic tools that detect and measure even slight shock and friction events that occur between contact surfaces in operating machinery. SWANTECH delivers the power of precise machine condition information with patented Stress Wave Analysis (SWAN(TM)) technology. SWAN detects Stress Wave Energy and enables the separation of these high-frequency stress waves from the much lower frequency range of operating machinery vibration and audible noise. This process detects flaws and problems well before other technologies including vibration and lubrication analysis and provides prognostic condition monitoring solutions that enable users to intervene before secondary machine damage or catastrophic failure occurs. SWANTECH solutions contribute to a lower total cost of operation and a greater return on assets managed.